Majority Concerned Domestic Surveillance Will Go Too Far

The revelations about the size and scope of the NSA’s domestic spying programs via Edward Snowden appears to be having a real impact on public opinion. The latest NBC/WSJ poll found that majority of Americans are concerned the government will go too far.

According to the poll 56 percent of Americans believe that the government’s “anti-terrorism” monitoring programs go too far and violate privacy rights. By comparison only 36 percent are more concerned that the government’s surveillance efforts might not go far enough.This is a real shift since 2006 when a majority worried the government wasn’t going far enough.

This is the second national poll to find a big shift in public opinion following the Snowden’s whistle-blowing. A Quinnipiac poll from earlier this month found that as Americans learn the extent of the NSA’s activities they grow increasingly concerned that the government is violating individual’s civil liberties.

This big change in public opinion also seems to be effecting the debate in Congress. While a recent amendment in the House to restrict the NSA did ultimately failed it garnered a significantly amount of support.

Jon Walker

Jonathan Walker grew up in New Jersey. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 2006. He is an expert on politics, health care and drug policy. He is also the author of After Legalization and Cobalt Slave, and a Futurist writer at http://pendinghorizon.com